June 10, 2013

325 years ago
1688

Born on this date
James Francis Edward Stuart. Pretender to the thrones of England, Ireland, and Scotland. James was the son of King James II of England (James VI of Scotland), who was deposed in 1688. When James II died in 1701, his son claimed the thrones. His claim was recognized by King Louis XV of France and almost no one else. James died in Rome on January 1, 1766 at the age of 75.

300 years ago
1713

Born on this date
Princess Caroline of Great Britain. A native of Hanover, Caroline was the fourth child and third daughter of King George II. She died unmarried and childless on December 28, 1757 at the age of 44.

250 years ago
1763

Canadiana
Benjamin Franklin, deputy postmaster of British North America, initiated the first official postal service in what is now Canada, a route among Quebec, Trois-Rivieres, and Montreal.

220 years ago
1793

Franciana
The Jardin des Plantes museum opened in Paris; a year later, it became the first public zoo.

Politics and government
Following the arrests of Girondin leaders, the Jacobins gained control of the Committee of Public Safety installing the revolutionary dictatorship.

175 years ago
1838

Abominations
11 white colonists murdered 28 Australian Aborigines--mostly women, children, and old people--in the Myall Creek Massacre.

War
James Morreau led a rebel raiding party across the Niagara River in Upper Canada. They attacked St. Johns in Pelham Township on June 11, and got as far as Short Hills by June 21.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Tikhon Khrennikov. Russian composer. Mr. Khrenikov wrote three symphonies, four piano concertos, two violin concertos, two cello concertos, operas, operettas, ballets, chamber music, incidental music and film music. He was secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers from 1948 until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. at the end of 1991. Mr. Khrenikov died on August 14, 2007 at the age of 94.

80 years ago
1933

Horse racing
Hurryoff, with M. Garner aboard, won the 65th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in New York in a time of 2:32 3/5. Nimbus placed second.

70 years ago
1943

Died on this date
Abdelaziz, 65. Sultan of Morocco, 1894-1908. Abdelaziz succeeded his father Hassan I. Abdelaziz was regarded by many of his subjects as a weak ruler in the face of European influence, and was deposed by his brother Abdelhafid on January 4, 1908. Abdelhaziz was unsuccessful in an attempt to recapture power later in 1908, and spent the rest of his life in exile in Tangier.

Diplomacy
Paraguayan President Higinio Morinigo addressed a joint session of the United States Congress, saying that his country "will continue to keep faithfully...all international agreements."

Scandal
Film actor and director Charlie Chaplin agreed to pay Joan Barry, who was suing him on paternity charges in Los Angeles, $2,500 immediately, $100 weekly, and $4,600 for medical attention. He denied that he was the father of her expected child, and agreed to take a blood test when the child was four months old.

60 years ago
1953

On the radio
I Was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews
Tonight’s episode: The Red Octopus
http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/I%20Series/I%20Was%20A%20Communist/IWCF%2053-06-10%20(60)%20The%20Red%20Octopus.mp3

40 years ago
1973

Died on this date
William Inge, 60. U.S. playwright. Mr. Inge, a native of Independence, Kansas, was known for plays set in the midwestern United States, such as Come Back, Little Sheba (1950); Picnic (1953); Bus Stop (1955); and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957). Mr. Inge won the Academy Award for his original screenplay for Splendor in the Grass (1961), a movie in which he made a cameo appearance as a minister. He committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning days before a production of his play The Last Pad, which had premiered in Phoenix in 1972, was about to open in Los Angeles.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Beat It--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Juliet--Robin Gibb (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
The candidates for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada made their speeches at the party's leadership convention. Former Prime Minister Joe Clark was attempting to hang onto his position against challenges from businessman Brian Mulroney, former Finance Minister John Crosbie, and hockey executive Peter Pocklington, among others.

Former Republican U.S. Congressman and independent presidential candidate John Anderson said that he was planning to form a new political party, rejecting the Republican and Democratic Parties as captives of special interests and unwilling to experiment with new ideas.

Diplomacy
U.S. envoy to Latin America Richard Stone met with Nicaraguan leaders and said that their support for guerrilla movements in other countries was the major problem in American-Nicaraguan relations. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said that he was willing to make a settlement with the U.S. but not with rebel groups inside Nicaragua.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that retail sales had increased 2.1% in May, while the Labor Department reported that prices paid by producers for finished goods had edged upward 0.3% in May.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Ottawa (0-1) 4 @ Montreal (1-0) 14
Hamilton (0-1) 6 @ Toronto (1-0) 24
British Columbia (1-0) 52 @ Edmonton (0-1) 20

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ella, Elle L'a--France Gall (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Louis L'Amour, 80. U.S. author. Mr. L'Amour wrote 100 novels and more than 250 short stories, mainly in the Western genre. More than 320 million copies of his works had been sold by 2010.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Tribal Dance--2 Unlimited (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Les Dawson, 62. U.K. entertainer. Mr. Dawson played piano and wrote novels, but was best known as a comedian, who had several television programs. He was known for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona, and jokes about his mother-in-law and wife. Mr. Dawson died of a heart attack.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Donald Regan, 84. U.S. politician. Mr. Regan was an account executive with Merrill Lynch & Co. from 1946-1980, serving as chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1971-1980. He served in the administration of U.S. President Ronald Reagan as Secretary of the Treasury from 1981-1985 and White House Chief of Staff from 1985-1987. Mr. Regan was forced to resign because of disagreements with First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Space
The United States launched the Spirit Rover, beginning NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission.

Abominations
A three-member panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal ordered provincial officials to extend full marriage rights to same-sex couples, ruling unanimously that the common law definition of marriage as a male-female union was unconstitutional. The decision followed similar rulings by courts in Quebec and British Columbia, but was unique in taking effect immediately; some same-sex "weddings" took place that day.

World events
Israeli helicopters fired missiles into a car in Gaza occupied by Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, second-ranking leader of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. Mr. Rantisi was injured and a guard and bystander were killed.

Protest
large strikes and demonstrations took place throughout France in protest against pension reform.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Toronto (2-0) 23 @ Hamilton (0-2) 5
Edmonton (2-0) 38 @ British Columbia (0-2) 9